Mercedes-Benz reveals new ute

Mercedes-Benz Vans has finally made it official. The German manufacturer IS bringing a turbo-diesel double cab ute to market, one based on Nissan’s current NP300 Navara and which we can expect to go on sale here in 2018. Dubbed the X-Class, the new M-B ute will be aimed at urban lifestylers, rather than traditional sector buyers says Volker Mornhinweg, Head of Mercedes-Benz Vans. “We will open up and change the segment of mid-size pickups – with the world’s first true premium pickup for the modern urban lifestyle,” he told NZ4WD. “X-Class will be a pickup that knows no compromise, “he said. “Ladder-type frame, hightorque six-cylinder engine, and permanent all-wheel drive are compulsory for us. “As an added value we bring safety, comfort, agility, and expressive design – in other words, everything that distinguishes vehicles bearing the Mercedes star. We will thus appeal to new customers who have not considered owning a pickup before.” The top-of-the-line model will be powered by a V6 diesel in combination with 4MATIC permanent all-wheel drive. According to M-B Vans the all-wheel-drive system will combine an electronic traction system, a transfer case with reduction gear, and diff locks front and rear. Payload will be more than 1.1 tonne, towing capacity of up to 3500kgs. At the same time, will start at the Nissan plant in Barcelona, Spain, in 2017 while production for the Latin American market will roll off the assembly lines at the Renault plant in Cordoba, Argentina, starting in 2018. Mercedes-Benz Vans released photos of two versions of the X-Class, a chic urban one with large rims and normal ride height, ( in silver) and a more off-road oriented one (green in the pics) with a raised ride height, chunky off-road wheels and tyres and front barmounted winch. With the X-Class, Daimler AG and the RenaultNissan Alliance expand their strategic cooperation which began six years ago.